Chris Paul traded to Clippers

Posted on: December 14, 2011 7:19 pm

Edited on: December 15, 2011 1:44 pm

Chris Paul is headed to Los Angeles after an agreement was reached Wednesday night sending him from New Orleans to the Clippers, ending a fiasco in which the NBA found itself in an uncomfortable conflict of interest with its role overseeing the trade.

The Hornets will get Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Minnesota's unprotected first-round pick in the 2012 draft and the expiring contract of center Chris Kaman for the All-Star point guard. The Hornets announced the departure of Paul, their franchise cornerstone, in a news release Wednesday night. The Clippers also get two second-round picks in 2015.

The trade was agreed to under excruciating and controversial circumstances after a previous deal sending Paul to the Lakers was rejected by the league office, which was thrust into the unenviable position of handling the negotiations in the absence of a Hornets owner. After the traditional conference call vetting details and salary-cap compliance of the trade occurred, commissioner David Stern scheduled a media conference call with Hornets chairman Jac Sperling, team president Hugh Weber and general manager Dell Demps -- whose authority to execute the trade was usurped as part of an unprecedented set of circumstances.

As part of the trade, sources said Paul would agree not to opt out of his contract after the season, thus giving the Clippers -- and new teammate Blake Griffin -- a two-year commitment for their soon-to-be high-flying pairing at Staples Center. Paul didn't wind up with the Knicks, his first choice, or the Lakers, his second. But the trade puts an end to a frustrating saga for the NBA, which emerged from a five-month lockout only to be besieged by trade requests from two of the game's biggest stars wanting to move to the biggest markets -- precisely the kind of activity the owners were trying to stop.

The Lakers, whose effort to land Paul in a three-team trade with Houston fell apart over the weekend when it was rejected by league executives running the Hornets, had been back in the picture in the past 48 hours. But a person briefed throughout the awkward trade negotiations said the league office’s efforts had been focused almost solely on completing the deal with the Clippers, who had – in the estimation of NBA executives Joel Litvin and Stu Jackson – a superior mix of assets around which the New Orleans franchise will be able to rebuild.

"I think the future of the Hornets is looking better today than it's ever looked before and I'm excited about that," Stern said.

In the Lakers-Rockets deal, the Hornets would’ve received Lamar Odom from L.A. and Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic from the Rockets, in addition to draft picks. League executives decided that while that package would permit the Hornets to compete immediately, it would not be the best long-term avenue – and would be one that would deter prospective owners. One detail stood out: Not factoring other contracts that would’ve been signed and traded out in the three-way deal, the Hornets would’ve been taking on more than $24 million in guaranteed money next season – not the best way to rebuild organically after losing a franchise player, the league decided.

The Clippers, wary of giving up too many assets for a two-year commitment from Paul, tried to hold onto sharpshooter Eric Gordon in the deal but ending up parting with him instead of point guard Eric Bledsoe. After L.A. had claimed veteran point guard Chauncey Billups off amnesty waivers from the Knicks Tuesday, it was widely concluded that the move paved the way for the Clippers to sweeten their offer for Paul by including Bledsoe. In earlier versions of the trade, the Clippers were asked to give up both players – a steep price even for a superstar when the star hasn’t given assurances that he’ll eventually sign a long-term contract.

Paul has an early-termination option after the season and had made it clear to Hornets management that he would exercise it and test the free-agent market. Under the new collective bargaining agreement recently ratified after a 149-day lockout, it would’ve been an expensive decision, as the Hornets would’ve been able to offer an extra year and about $26 million more than any other team.

The Paul saga became embroiled in the inherent conflict of interest that came about when NBA owners voted to take custodianship of the flagging franchise from debt-ridden owner George Shinn in December 2010. The perfect storm of controversy greeted the league, and Paul -- a member of the players' negotiating committee -- almost immediately after a lockout ended.

In rejecting the three-team trade that would've sent Paul to the Lakers, commissioner David Stern was acting not in his capacity as commissioner, but rather on behalf of the other 29 owners who technically own the Hornets. Now that Paul is gone, to be paired up with bright young star Griffin, the latest NBA fiasco is over. Perhaps only now can the league focus on the rushed, compressed, 66-game schedule that begins Dec. 25.

Paul's debut for the Clippers will be against the Golden State Warriors -- another team that tried briefly to land him -- in the last of a five-game opening-day schedule on Christmas Day.

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

All at a time when the NBA is trying to show prospective owners that the team has a bright future, not one that will disappear inside of two years AND be more expensive in the meantime.

There are too many fucking teams in the first place. There isn't enough talent to go around, even if Stern hand picked the teams himself, to make every team competitive.

What we get in result is a bunch of owners crying like little bitches because all the good players are already signed or going to the big markets, so now the answer is to openly fuck over those big markets? FYI people have been trading in their jerseys for the purple and gold for a long ass time. If you want parity get rid of some of these worthless teams, like the Hornets. Even with salary do you honestly think they could put a good team together in the coming years, I'll bet money they'll still suck.

Since: Mar 15, 2008

Posted on: December 15, 2011 11:30 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

Oh, please!

When in the history of sports has a GM been allowed to make huge moves without ownership consent? Never? That's what I thought.

So your answer is having Stern and the league step in and make decisions WWE style? Fact is he was crossing his boundary and was in the wrong, there's no way you could ever justify that.

Who are the two "star caliber big men in their prime" you're talking about? Gasol was headed to Houston, Odom has never been a star, and Scola is solid but not a star. The "great scoring guard" is cleverly disguised as a ridiculously overpaid volume scorer, and the "young high potential point guard" was Goran Dragic. Goran Dragic. You're really referring to HIM when you say that? C'mon now - be real for a minute. You didn't even bother to mention one of the most valuable parts of the trade which is the Wolves' unprotected pick

I didn't say they were all-stars I just said stars because they are way better than average. Odom averaging 14 and 9 off the bench isn't a star? and Scola at 18 and 8? Are you seriously saying they're average? Kevin Martin shot decently at 43% and 22 points a game is a good scorer to me. I haven't seen Dragic since he played with the Suns but that was more of a personal evaluation, I personally liked what I saw out of him, he seems like a JJ Barea.

I didn't think I had to mention the draft pick since nothing is ever guarenteed, Kwame Brown was the #1 overall. An unproven rookiee traded as a highly valuable player, that's way better than a proven vet!

Again, with the value of big men skyrocketing in this guard-happy generation (7 mil for Kwame?) it's arguable that the Lakers deal had more value. Odom/Scola/Okafor > Okafor/Kaman/possibly Landry ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.

Since: Nov 6, 2010

Posted on: December 15, 2011 10:34 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

thanks...

Since: Oct 10, 2006

Posted on: December 15, 2011 4:57 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

Love the fact that the Fakers have lost out on this player. Soon enough they lose out on DHoward as well. Mitch K left with McRoberts and no Odom? No sign of Warnertoholt these days. Maybe he offed himself over this. Hahahaha! Meanwhile Dallas gets better and better....

Since: Sep 8, 2006

Posted on: December 15, 2011 2:46 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

Gordon by himself is a better play than Paul. Scores more.

Since: Aug 16, 2011

Posted on: December 15, 2011 2:30 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

Definitely Kim Or her MOTHER. Mama looking for a new ride.

Since: Sep 8, 2010

Posted on: December 15, 2011 12:27 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

You can't stop a starplayer from playing where he wants? Uh, it looks like Stern just did.

Since: Sep 15, 2007

Posted on: December 15, 2011 12:05 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

For the first time Non Clippers fans will want to watch them play.

Paul + Griffin = TV Ratings

Since: Nov 14, 2011

Posted on: December 15, 2011 12:03 pm

Chris Paul traded to Clippers

That trade is a bunch of bull and David Stern has done a lot for the NBA but with this one he really messed things up! Paul was suppose to go to the Lakers bottom line but because you have owners like cry baby Gilbert and whinny Mark Cuban Stern crumbled under the pressure and took our star back! I don't even know personally if I will ever watch the NBA again period. I know the NBA wants things to be even all the way around in the NBA. But life isn't fair and do you see the Yankees and red sox continue to get the players they want. The answer is yes because they are the biggest markets and all the super stars want to play for them period. You can't stop a super star from palying with the team he desires to play. The Lakers are by far the best franchise in the NBA hands down and Paul would have fit right in with the Lakers and we needed him now Stern has ruined things because he was weak and caved in to other whinny owners who are jealous of the Lakers and they will never be on the Lakers level period! End of discussion and yes I am vented and this is terrible for the NBA and what kind of message is the NBA sending out!